Garnier Fructis - That stuff in the bright green bottle.
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Product Support
Forum Name: Product Reviews
Forum Description: Our readers do their own product reviews.
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10214
Printed Date: July 18 2025 at 9:06am
Topic: Garnier Fructis - That stuff in the bright green bottle.
Posted By: SuperGrover
Subject: Garnier Fructis - That stuff in the bright green bottle.
Date Posted: April 06 2003 at 4:37pm
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So, I've read people rave about Garnier Fructis, both here and in magazines. It was so cheap (like $2.88 a bottle with coupon, I think I paid) that I had to try it. I've liked Garnier hair dye for years... it's the only brand of hair dye I use. But anyway, am I the only person that DOESN'T like this stuff? It seems to dry my hair out. Not as bad as Pantene, but still noticeable. I've had it for a month now, and I've tried it several times, but I never like the results. I know I've heard you're supposed to use a new shampoo and conditioner for 10 days to really see how it works, but that doesn't seem wise in this case. Any thoughts? I did buy the 'fine hair' formula. Maybe I should have bought the 'normal hair' formula. Still, I don't imagine there'd be too much difference. ------------- "Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32" |
Replies:
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: April 07 2003 at 7:29am
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Hi Grover, I will say this about Garnier's new line: you can see it from a mile away! Aside from the day-glo green bottles, here's the first thing I noticed about this line: Many of the shampoos and conditioners are nearly identical in composition! (I'm an avid label-reader.) Take a look below: Water , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Cocamide Mipa , Dimethicone , Distearyl Ether , Sodium Chloride , Behenyl Alcohol , Laureth-2 , PPG-5-ceteth-20 , Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract Apple , Fragrance , Polyquaternium-10 , Sodium Methylparaben , Carbomer , Dmdm Hydantoin , Niacinamide , Pyridoxine HCI , Citric Acid , Saccharin Officinarum Extract Sugar Cane , Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract Lemon , Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract. That's the ingredient list for BOTH the fine hair formula and the normal shampoo! They're virtually the same product. The conditioners are somwhat different but they're close enough to make me think that if the fine hair version did nothing for you neither will the normal formula. Unless you're absolutely in love with Fructis (which you're not, judging by your post) I would suggest trying something else. At least it was cheap! :-) ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: princessmonica
Date Posted: April 07 2003 at 1:01pm
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is there anything wrong with the ingredients? i personally like it. of course this is just me. ------------- http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders - http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: April 07 2003 at 2:10pm
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Hi Monica, Oh heck no, the Fructis formulas are perfectly fine. The shampoos do not contain any of the common harsh cleansers you typically see (sodium lauryl sulfate, TEA-lauryl sulfate, C12-15 alkyl sulfate, sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, etc. The shampoos are mild and the conditioners are decent--so if they work for you by all means keep using them! Per Grover's question, however, there is not much variety inbetween the various formulations (especially between the fine and normal hair products.) ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: SuperGrover
Date Posted: April 07 2003 at 6:39pm
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Thank you, Lyris! Wow, did you happen to have a bottle of Fructis handy when you rattled off that list of ingredients, or are you just a walking encyclopedia? ------------- "Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32" |
Posted By: princessmonica
Date Posted: April 08 2003 at 12:40pm
thank you lyris for the information  you are like my hair ingredient guru lol. is there a difference between the dry/damage and normal?i'm sorry supergrover that you didn't like it. ------------- http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders - http://www.msnusers.com/monicasanders |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: April 08 2003 at 1:34pm
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LOL Grover....no I'm definitely no encyclopedia...my memory is far too limited for that. I got the ingredients from Walgreens.com. Just cut 'n paste. Princess, the normal and dry shampoos are not identical, but very close. They both contain the same ingredients but a few are in slightly different orders. The dry version would probably VERY slightly enhance hair's shine due to the dimethicone listed third. They are both gentle shampoos. The conditioners are even more similar. The first eight ingredients are identical, and the first 3-5 ingredients comprise 80-90 percent of a hair product. These products show no differences until you get down into the fragrance/preservative area, so they are virtually the same product. Both would probably work best for someone with slightly dry hair, as the ingredients present in the biggest quantities are moisturizers (cetyl alcohol), emulsifiers (PEG-180), detanglers (behentrimonium chloride) and shine-enhancers (amodimethicone.) Whew, okay I hope that helps! :-) ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: SuperGrover
Date Posted: April 08 2003 at 1:54pm
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OK, so maybe you're not a walking encyclopedia, but you sure do know a lot about hair product ingredients. How did you learn all of this stuff? What is an emulsifier? And how did you know that behentrimonium chloride is a detangler? I spend WAY too much money on hair products. If my husband were here, he'd second and third that statement. Maybe I'd be a wiser shopper if I knew what I was buying. Thanks for your help! ------------- "Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32" |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: April 08 2003 at 2:20pm
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Well, first and foremost I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Meaning I am a huge dork. About two years ago I decided I was tired of wading through the hair product world with nothing to go on but the slick marketing language emblazoned on each bottle. I began reading a LOT: Paula Begoun's books, cosmetic dictionaries, reputable web sites (The Rose Sheet, the FDA). I asked my father, a chemist, lots of questions. In the end, I found my hair improving as I learned to go by the ingredient list and not the front of the label. I have a rather extensive ingredient glossary on my hardrive with hundreds of compouds to which I refer, culled from a variety of resources. (If you want it I can email it to you...it's rather long!) At first I brought the whole printout with me to the store, but after awhile I got to know the most prolific ingredients so that wasn't necessary. Behentrimonium chloride is one of those chemicals that shows up in many, many conditioners as a detangling agent, so I now recognize it on sight. An emulsifier thickens the product and gives it a specific consistency. Many people think that the thicker the conditioner, the richer and more moisturizing it must be. It's simply not true: It's thick because it contains emulsifiers. However some thickeners such as cetyl/stearyl/cetearyl alcohol and ceteath-20 are also emollients, which help moisturize hair. I strongly believe the best defense consumers like you and I have against marketing lingo is knowledge. Once your awareness is raised, it cannot be lowered. I will never again judge a product by its manufacturer's flowery claims--I look at the ingredients and see for myself. Another long-winded response today! Well in any event I hope that helps Grover. Have a lovely Tuesday! ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: SuperGrover
Date Posted: April 08 2003 at 8:49pm
Thanks, Lyris! I'm a huge dork, also.  I read Paula Begoun's book also. I should really buy a copy I guess, except it's already several years out of date. Half of the hair product shelf at the store has changed in that amount of time! So I guess I'm waiting until she comes out with a new edition. Your ingredient glossary sounds great! I'd love to have it. I'll bmail you my email address. I never thought much about product companies adding emulsifiers/thickeners. That makes sense. It reminds me of that Pantene commercial with Kelly Ripa. Who has beautiful hair, but I'm almost certain it isn't because she uses Pantene. I doubt she uses it at all. Anyway, she says something along the lines of "My hair is so damaged, I need something thick and creamy to repair it from all the damaging things I do to it." That always cracks me up. Thanks again for your help! I really need to get away from this message board and get some work done. It's addictive! Like my new Redken product. :p ------------- "Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32" |
Posted By: Christina
Date Posted: May 04 2003 at 5:07pm
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i used a free sample i had gotten- the shampoo and conidtioner had a nice smell and left my hair feeling fresh. Im thinking of buying it when i finish my other shampoo. ------------- |
Posted By: Punzel
Date Posted: May 04 2003 at 8:17pm
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I'm with you. It dried my hair out bigtime, made it paintbrushy. I won't use it again. I thought I was the only person who had problems with Pantene! I have tried "the Pantene promise" three different times (hey, I'm a slow study!) and all it does is gum up my hair! One of my mom's friend's father had a drugstore and when he died, Mom and her friend cleaned out the inventory...in his basement were about 25 bottles of Woodbury Coconut/Castile shampoo. I have the last remaining bottle. I love it, it is gentle and sudsy and makes my hair soft. Unfortunately, 'they' don't make it anymore. It's from the days when shampoo was not a bunch of chemicals, but natural stuff. I only use it when I want to pamper myself. punzel ------------- |
Posted By: LiliBeach
Date Posted: May 04 2003 at 10:10pm
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WARNING!! WARNING!! WARNING!! I tested the ph on the sample I received in the mail. It was a 7!!!!! In other words, it will rip color right out of your hair, and eventually fray your cuticle, leaving you with split ends. This stuff is bad!!!  ------------- I am a professional Hairstylist/Haircolorist with 19 years experience. I have traveled all over the country for my advanced education. I am also a salon owner.:)........and I LOVE Redken!!! |
Posted By: Tap Dancer
Date Posted: May 05 2003 at 2:09pm
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I've never used it. I was sent a sample and couldn't get past the smell. Ugh... ------------- [IMG]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n89/yerdumm/tapdancer2.gif" /> |
Posted By: SuperGrover
Date Posted: May 05 2003 at 5:45pm
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Lili Beach, I think 7 is neutral. I have some Phyto that says it is 7, right on the package. Thanks for testing it though. I need to get my hands on some pH strips. ------------- "Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32" |
Posted By: Isla Q.
Date Posted: May 06 2003 at 4:55am
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I've used the shampoo in the past. It wasn't spectacular, it wasn't terrible. It just was, really. It got the job done. I love their hair mask, though. Leaves my hair nice 'n soft. Although I only use that once a week. And I personally do like the smell, but I guess smell is different for everyone. I cannot eat fried eggs for example because the smell nauseates me, but most people I know love fried eggs. So anyone who hasn't had a sniff of Garnier Fructis yet: it doesn't smell like fried eggs! ------------- |
Posted By: KISAWA
Date Posted: July 02 2003 at 3:17pm
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I use the shampoo (fortifying line) when I need to clarify and the rest of the time i LOVE pantene... Or Avalon shampoo!! Their conditioner (fructis) is Ok but in my opinion it is a lil' bit TOO light for my colored hair!! ------------- |
Posted By: Ronda22
Date Posted: July 25 2003 at 5:44am
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FYI I am a research chemist, and a pH of 7 is great!!! H2O is a pH of 7, which means its no worse than putting water on your hair!!! Just an FYI! Have a great day all!!! ------------- |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: July 25 2003 at 11:53am
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Ronda is right: the pH of this product shouldn't cause a problem. Seven is slightly more alkaline than hair, which has a natural pH between 5-6, making it slightly acidic. It's the really high pH products you need to watch out for: namely hair dyes that hover in the 10-11 range. Unfortunately, for permanent dyes to penetrate the cuticle it must open first, which explains the high pH requirement. While 7 is slightly higher than hair's normal pH, you aren't going to leave Fructis on your hair day and night since it's a rinse-out product. Hair has a tendency to return to its natural pH, so it would do this after using a neutral pH product. ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: Budokan
Date Posted: July 25 2003 at 2:16pm
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Nice to know I'm not the only one that had a problem with the Fructis. I got a free sample with my morning newspaper (no kidding!), gave it a try and really liked it. So, the next time I was in the store, I bought a bottle. It worked very well for about a week and then I noticed it doing bad things to my hair...the major problem being drying it out (and with waist length hair that is not an insignificant problem). So much for the Fructis. Goes to show, once again, that what works well for one doesn't necessarily mean it work for everyone. ------------- |
Posted By: hairalways
Date Posted: August 21 2003 at 4:43am
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Lyris - i would also love to see your list! I just finished reading Paula Begouns book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and I feel like I need MORE!!!! I learned a lot from her book, but I would love to see some of the studys she refers to in her writing and feel that she could have elaborated more on some of the chemicals and the potency of some of their combinations. I will bmail you my address too....Thanks for the info on Fructis too...I read the label at the store and was not impressed with the ingredients...So much like all of the others. I like to compare labels of new stuff with labels of something I have tried and it left a bad result...if the labels are too close in identity, I don't buy. Jacqui ------------- |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: August 21 2003 at 7:03am
My pleasure Jacqui--it's right here waiting on my hardrive  I loved Paula's books and subscribe to her email updates. I wish she had a new hair book coming out though...the latest one is getting old and a lot of the products have been discontinued. She could write an encyclopedia and I think it would still fly off the shelves. ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: Endlessnite
Date Posted: August 21 2003 at 10:06am
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I am currently reading Paula Begoun's book about Hair Care products, 2nd Edition! I have read it before, but need to go over some of the ingredient & product lists from time to time. Her books are so empowering! I use Pantene Smooth N' Sleek conditioner on a regular basis and have no problem with it. (there is not a review of it in her book...) ------------- BR, Endlessnight |
Posted By: LiliBeach
Date Posted: August 21 2003 at 9:33pm
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The problem with a PH of 7........... When hair is soaked with water the cutucle will swell open. When you shampoo with a 7 is keeps the cutcle open. When the hair dries the cuticle closes. When hair is shampooed with a 4.5 to 5.5, the shampoo will keep the cuticle form opening. When the cuticle is open and closed repeatedly the starch like gummy substance between the cuticles will eventually break, then you have the dreaded split ends. Not to mention it will also allow any haircolor molecules to escape causing fadage and make perms to relax of frizz. "nothing wrong with a 7ph?" Think again! This is proven technology thats been around since the sixties. I have experimented and watched it myself under a microscope. ------------- I am a professional Hairstylist/Haircolorist with 19 years experience. I have traveled all over the country for my advanced education. I am also a salon owner.:)........and I LOVE Redken!!! |
Posted By: C-Lamb
Date Posted: September 22 2003 at 4:17pm
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I like using this stuff, Ive been using the conditoner and the deep conditoner for awhile and i havent seen or felt any damage to my hair. ------------- |
Posted By: razziberri
Date Posted: September 22 2003 at 6:55pm
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Can conditioner damage your hair? ------------- |
Posted By: Lyris
Date Posted: September 23 2003 at 7:33am
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Typically, no. Drying ingredients such as TEA-lauryl sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate usually pop up in shampoos. However, sulfur, ammonium xylenosulfonate and denatured alcohols (SD alcohol 40, benzyl/ethyl/isopropyl) occasionally appear in conditioners, so you need to always check the ingredient list. ------------- Look for beauty, and you will find no intelligence. Look for intelligence and you will find both.Proud member of the Cult of All Soft |
Posted By: Precious Honey
Date Posted: December 02 2003 at 7:12pm
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Yikes! I just got some of this last night just figured i would give it a try but after reading these posts i may pass.. I have very dry hair and usually use Motions Lavish Conditioning shampoo which is GREAT by the way but sometimes i just like to try something new..Im thinkin i will pass on this and wait until payday and order some more PHYTO products :) ------------- |